There’s not a lot that Darren Dods hasn’t seen or experienced during his 21-year professional career with six different clubs.
Yet the veteran central defender was still left scratching his head after substitute Jordan Moore’s 94th-minute equaliser denied Forfar a win at East End Park and rescued a point for promotion-chasing Dunfermline.
A rare strike from Dods looked to be enough to secure all three points.
But with injury time rapidly running out, Forfar conceded a controversial free-kick which substitute Stephen Husband lashed against the wall and straight into the path of Moore, who gratefully hooked it past former Celtic and Scotland keeper Rab Douglas from close range.
While Forfar boss Dick Campbell raged at the free-kick award “It was never, ever a foul. It was the other way round!” Dods opted to remain more diplomatic.
“I really thought it was going to be our day as time went on,” he said.
“The free-kick was a bit soft, but these things can either go for you or against you and they can often even themselves out over the season.”
None of that would have mattered a jot had Forfar’s lone frontman Gavin Swankie taken any of three or four gilt-edged opportunities to kill the game off.
In fairness, Swankie was desperately unlucky to see his dinked chip beat goalkeeper Ryan Scully but rebound back off the post shortly before half-time, while an inspired Scully repeatedly denied him in the second period to keep the home team in contention.
Dods said: “Even without the cushion of a second goal, we still thought we could see the game out.”
On his 18th-minute opening goal, he said: “The ball just sat up right for me, I stepped away and then got a good strike in on my left foot.
“I scored one here for Inverness and I remember playing here for Hibs with the old terracing, it was that long ago.”
And 19-year-old Moore, besides being half Dods’ age, is a much more regular scorer, and within earshot of manager Jim Jefferies he said: “That’s seven goals in nine starts this season, so it was good for me.
“I’m just glad to get another goal and I’m loving it here at East End Park (after coming from Airdrie on loan).”